mdash
shy
College Drinking Abusive and underage college drinking are significant public health problems and they exact an enormous toll on the intellectual and social lives of students on campuses across the United States
Drinking at college has become a ritual that students often see as an integral part of their highershyeducation experience Many students come to college with established drinking habits and the college environment can exacerbate the problem Research shows that more than 80 percent of college students drink alcohol and almost half report binge drinking in the past 2 weeks
Virtually all college students experience the effects of college drinkingmdashwhether they drink or not
Consequences of Abusive College Drinking What is ldquobinge drinkingrdquo Drinking affects college students their families and
college communities at large Consequences include Many college alcohol problems are related to binge drinking Binge
Death drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration Each year an estimated 1825 college students (BAC) levels to 008 gdL This typically
between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcoholshy occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 related unintentional injuries including motor drinks for men in about 2 hours
vehicle crashes1 Drinking this way can pose serious health and safety risks including car
Injury crashes drunk driving arrests sexual
Each year an estimated 599000 students between assaults and injuries Over the long term frequent binge drinking can the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured damage the liver and other organs
under the influence of alcohol1
Assault Each year an estimated 696000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking1
Sexual Abuse Each year an estimated 97000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcoholshyrelated sexual assault or date rape1
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
ldquo rdquo
Unsafe Sex Each year an estimated 400000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 have unprotected sex and more than 100000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex2
Academic Problems About oneshyquarter of college students report having academic consequences because of their drinking including missing class falling behind doing poorly on exams or papers and receiving lower grades overall3ndash6
Alcohol Abuse and Dependence Nineteen percent of college students between the ages of 18 and 24 met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence but only 5 percent of these students sought treatment for alcohol problems in the year preceding the survey7
Drunk Driving Each year an estimated 3360000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the influence of alcohol1
Other Consequences These include suicide attempts health problems vandalism property damage and involvement with the police
Factors Affecting Student Drinking Although the majority of students come to college already having some experience with alcohol certain aspects of college life such as unstructured time the widespread availability of alcohol inconsistent enforcement of underage drinking laws and limited interactions with parents and other adults can intensify the problem In fact college students have higher bingeshydrinking rates and a higher incidence of drunk driving than their nonshycollege peers
The first 6 weeks of freshman year is an especially vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcoholshyrelated consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year
How much is a drink To avoid binge drinking and its consequences college students (and all drinkers) are advised to track the number of drinks they consume over a given period of time That is why it is important to know exactly what counts as a drink
In the United States a standard drink is one that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol which is found in
raquo 12 ounces of beer which is usually about 5 percent alcohol
raquo 5 ounces of wine which is typically about 12 percent alcohol
raquo 15 ounces of distilled spirits which is about 40 percent alcohol
Unfortunately although the standard drink amounts are helpful for following health guidelines they often do not reflect customary serving sizes particularly in a college environment A large cup of beer an overpoured glass of wine or a single mixed drink could contain much more alcohol than a standard drink
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
Factors related to specific college environments also are significant Students attending schools with strong Greek systems and with prominent athletic programs tend to drink more than students at other types of schools In terms of living arrangements alcohol consumption is highest among students living in fraternities and sororities and lowest among commuting students who live with their families
An often overlooked preventive factor involves the continuing influence of parents Research shows that students who choose not to drink often do so because their parents discussed alcohol use and its adverse consequences with them
Addressing College Drinking Ongoing research continues to improve our understanding of how to address this persistent and costly problem Successful efforts typically involve a mix of prevention intervention and treatment strategies that target individual students the student body as a whole and the broader college community
Strategies Targeting Individual Students
Strategies that target individual students including those at risk for alcohol problems are effective particularly alcohol screening and brief intervention programs conducted in campus health centers These programs evaluate studentsrsquo alcohol use and provide feedback about
Alcohol poisoning and raquo The risks of drinking college students raquo How these risks interfere with meeting their goals Thousands of college students are raquo How to monitor and reduce drinking transported to the emergency room
raquo How to handle highshyrisk situations each year for alcohol poisoning which occurs when high levels of
A focus on individual intervention and treatment is alcohol suppress the nervous and significant as research shows that 19 percent of respiratory systems and the body college students between the ages of 18 and 24 meet struggles to rid itself of toxins
produced from the breakdown of the criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence but alcohol Signs of this dangerous only 5 percent of them seek treatment assistance condition can include
Strategies Targeting the Campus and raquo Mental confusion stupor coma Surrounding Community or the person cannot be roused
raquo Vomiting In combination with individually oriented interventions raquo Slow or irregular breathing strategies that focus on the college environment are raquo Hypothermia or low body another key component of a comprehensive program
temperature bluish or pale skin These prevention efforts target the entire student body as well as the broader college community and include Alcohol poisoning can lead to
permanent brain damage or death strategies that so a person showing any of these raquo Provide alcohol education signs requires immediate medical
raquo Limit alcohol availability and enforce underageshy attention Dont wait Call 911 if you suspect alcohol poisoning drinking laws
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
raquo Provide alcoholshyfree campus activities raquo Notify parents of alcoholshyrelated infractions raquo Adjust academic schedules to include more Friday classes and reduce the number of long weekends during the semester
Socialshynorms approaches which focus on correcting student misperceptions about how much their peers drink have been widely implemented However new research shows that these approaches may work best in individual and online applications in which students receive personalized feedback but they are much less effective as part of campusshywide campaigns
Accumulating research shows that campusndash community partnerships can be effective With the involvement of campus administrators local law enforcement merchants residents and local leaders these partnerships address college drinking through the application and consistent enforcement of community policies Effective campusndashcommunity partnership strategies can include
raquo Publicizing and enforcing underageshy drinking and zeroshytolerance laws for drivers under age 21
raquo Establishing partnerships between the college and the local residential and business communities to reduce access to alcohol and to address violations
raquo Increasing the price of alcohol such as the elimination of lowshycost drink specials in bars near college campuses because research shows that when alcohol is more expensive people drink less and have fewer alcoholshyrelated problems
Strong leadership from a concerned college president in combination with an involved campus community and a comprehensive program of evidenceshybased strategies can help address harmful student drinking
For more information please visit wwwniaaanihgov 1 Hingson RW Zha W and Weitzman ER Magnitude of and trends in alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 1998ndash2005 Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 1612ndash20 2009
2 Hingson RW Heeren T Zakocs RC et al Magnitude of alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(2)136ndash144 2002
3 Engs RC Diebold BA and Hansen DJ The drinking patterns and problems of a national sample of college students 1994 Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 41(3)13ndash33 1996
4 Presley CA Meilman PW and Cashin JR Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol IV 1992ndash1994 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
5 Presley CA Meilman PW Cashin JR and Lyerla R Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol III 1991ndash1993 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
6 Wechsler H Lee JE Kuo M et al Trends in college binge drinking during a period of increased prevention efforts Findings from four Harvard School of Public Health study surveys 1993ndash2001 Journal of American College Health 50(5)203ndash217 2002
7 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions 2002 (special data run)
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
July 2013
ldquo rdquo
Unsafe Sex Each year an estimated 400000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 have unprotected sex and more than 100000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex2
Academic Problems About oneshyquarter of college students report having academic consequences because of their drinking including missing class falling behind doing poorly on exams or papers and receiving lower grades overall3ndash6
Alcohol Abuse and Dependence Nineteen percent of college students between the ages of 18 and 24 met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence but only 5 percent of these students sought treatment for alcohol problems in the year preceding the survey7
Drunk Driving Each year an estimated 3360000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 drive under the influence of alcohol1
Other Consequences These include suicide attempts health problems vandalism property damage and involvement with the police
Factors Affecting Student Drinking Although the majority of students come to college already having some experience with alcohol certain aspects of college life such as unstructured time the widespread availability of alcohol inconsistent enforcement of underage drinking laws and limited interactions with parents and other adults can intensify the problem In fact college students have higher bingeshydrinking rates and a higher incidence of drunk driving than their nonshycollege peers
The first 6 weeks of freshman year is an especially vulnerable time for heavy drinking and alcoholshyrelated consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year
How much is a drink To avoid binge drinking and its consequences college students (and all drinkers) are advised to track the number of drinks they consume over a given period of time That is why it is important to know exactly what counts as a drink
In the United States a standard drink is one that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol which is found in
raquo 12 ounces of beer which is usually about 5 percent alcohol
raquo 5 ounces of wine which is typically about 12 percent alcohol
raquo 15 ounces of distilled spirits which is about 40 percent alcohol
Unfortunately although the standard drink amounts are helpful for following health guidelines they often do not reflect customary serving sizes particularly in a college environment A large cup of beer an overpoured glass of wine or a single mixed drink could contain much more alcohol than a standard drink
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
Factors related to specific college environments also are significant Students attending schools with strong Greek systems and with prominent athletic programs tend to drink more than students at other types of schools In terms of living arrangements alcohol consumption is highest among students living in fraternities and sororities and lowest among commuting students who live with their families
An often overlooked preventive factor involves the continuing influence of parents Research shows that students who choose not to drink often do so because their parents discussed alcohol use and its adverse consequences with them
Addressing College Drinking Ongoing research continues to improve our understanding of how to address this persistent and costly problem Successful efforts typically involve a mix of prevention intervention and treatment strategies that target individual students the student body as a whole and the broader college community
Strategies Targeting Individual Students
Strategies that target individual students including those at risk for alcohol problems are effective particularly alcohol screening and brief intervention programs conducted in campus health centers These programs evaluate studentsrsquo alcohol use and provide feedback about
Alcohol poisoning and raquo The risks of drinking college students raquo How these risks interfere with meeting their goals Thousands of college students are raquo How to monitor and reduce drinking transported to the emergency room
raquo How to handle highshyrisk situations each year for alcohol poisoning which occurs when high levels of
A focus on individual intervention and treatment is alcohol suppress the nervous and significant as research shows that 19 percent of respiratory systems and the body college students between the ages of 18 and 24 meet struggles to rid itself of toxins
produced from the breakdown of the criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence but alcohol Signs of this dangerous only 5 percent of them seek treatment assistance condition can include
Strategies Targeting the Campus and raquo Mental confusion stupor coma Surrounding Community or the person cannot be roused
raquo Vomiting In combination with individually oriented interventions raquo Slow or irregular breathing strategies that focus on the college environment are raquo Hypothermia or low body another key component of a comprehensive program
temperature bluish or pale skin These prevention efforts target the entire student body as well as the broader college community and include Alcohol poisoning can lead to
permanent brain damage or death strategies that so a person showing any of these raquo Provide alcohol education signs requires immediate medical
raquo Limit alcohol availability and enforce underageshy attention Dont wait Call 911 if you suspect alcohol poisoning drinking laws
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
raquo Provide alcoholshyfree campus activities raquo Notify parents of alcoholshyrelated infractions raquo Adjust academic schedules to include more Friday classes and reduce the number of long weekends during the semester
Socialshynorms approaches which focus on correcting student misperceptions about how much their peers drink have been widely implemented However new research shows that these approaches may work best in individual and online applications in which students receive personalized feedback but they are much less effective as part of campusshywide campaigns
Accumulating research shows that campusndash community partnerships can be effective With the involvement of campus administrators local law enforcement merchants residents and local leaders these partnerships address college drinking through the application and consistent enforcement of community policies Effective campusndashcommunity partnership strategies can include
raquo Publicizing and enforcing underageshy drinking and zeroshytolerance laws for drivers under age 21
raquo Establishing partnerships between the college and the local residential and business communities to reduce access to alcohol and to address violations
raquo Increasing the price of alcohol such as the elimination of lowshycost drink specials in bars near college campuses because research shows that when alcohol is more expensive people drink less and have fewer alcoholshyrelated problems
Strong leadership from a concerned college president in combination with an involved campus community and a comprehensive program of evidenceshybased strategies can help address harmful student drinking
For more information please visit wwwniaaanihgov 1 Hingson RW Zha W and Weitzman ER Magnitude of and trends in alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 1998ndash2005 Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 1612ndash20 2009
2 Hingson RW Heeren T Zakocs RC et al Magnitude of alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(2)136ndash144 2002
3 Engs RC Diebold BA and Hansen DJ The drinking patterns and problems of a national sample of college students 1994 Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 41(3)13ndash33 1996
4 Presley CA Meilman PW and Cashin JR Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol IV 1992ndash1994 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
5 Presley CA Meilman PW Cashin JR and Lyerla R Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol III 1991ndash1993 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
6 Wechsler H Lee JE Kuo M et al Trends in college binge drinking during a period of increased prevention efforts Findings from four Harvard School of Public Health study surveys 1993ndash2001 Journal of American College Health 50(5)203ndash217 2002
7 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions 2002 (special data run)
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
July 2013
Factors related to specific college environments also are significant Students attending schools with strong Greek systems and with prominent athletic programs tend to drink more than students at other types of schools In terms of living arrangements alcohol consumption is highest among students living in fraternities and sororities and lowest among commuting students who live with their families
An often overlooked preventive factor involves the continuing influence of parents Research shows that students who choose not to drink often do so because their parents discussed alcohol use and its adverse consequences with them
Addressing College Drinking Ongoing research continues to improve our understanding of how to address this persistent and costly problem Successful efforts typically involve a mix of prevention intervention and treatment strategies that target individual students the student body as a whole and the broader college community
Strategies Targeting Individual Students
Strategies that target individual students including those at risk for alcohol problems are effective particularly alcohol screening and brief intervention programs conducted in campus health centers These programs evaluate studentsrsquo alcohol use and provide feedback about
Alcohol poisoning and raquo The risks of drinking college students raquo How these risks interfere with meeting their goals Thousands of college students are raquo How to monitor and reduce drinking transported to the emergency room
raquo How to handle highshyrisk situations each year for alcohol poisoning which occurs when high levels of
A focus on individual intervention and treatment is alcohol suppress the nervous and significant as research shows that 19 percent of respiratory systems and the body college students between the ages of 18 and 24 meet struggles to rid itself of toxins
produced from the breakdown of the criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence but alcohol Signs of this dangerous only 5 percent of them seek treatment assistance condition can include
Strategies Targeting the Campus and raquo Mental confusion stupor coma Surrounding Community or the person cannot be roused
raquo Vomiting In combination with individually oriented interventions raquo Slow or irregular breathing strategies that focus on the college environment are raquo Hypothermia or low body another key component of a comprehensive program
temperature bluish or pale skin These prevention efforts target the entire student body as well as the broader college community and include Alcohol poisoning can lead to
permanent brain damage or death strategies that so a person showing any of these raquo Provide alcohol education signs requires immediate medical
raquo Limit alcohol availability and enforce underageshy attention Dont wait Call 911 if you suspect alcohol poisoning drinking laws
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
raquo Provide alcoholshyfree campus activities raquo Notify parents of alcoholshyrelated infractions raquo Adjust academic schedules to include more Friday classes and reduce the number of long weekends during the semester
Socialshynorms approaches which focus on correcting student misperceptions about how much their peers drink have been widely implemented However new research shows that these approaches may work best in individual and online applications in which students receive personalized feedback but they are much less effective as part of campusshywide campaigns
Accumulating research shows that campusndash community partnerships can be effective With the involvement of campus administrators local law enforcement merchants residents and local leaders these partnerships address college drinking through the application and consistent enforcement of community policies Effective campusndashcommunity partnership strategies can include
raquo Publicizing and enforcing underageshy drinking and zeroshytolerance laws for drivers under age 21
raquo Establishing partnerships between the college and the local residential and business communities to reduce access to alcohol and to address violations
raquo Increasing the price of alcohol such as the elimination of lowshycost drink specials in bars near college campuses because research shows that when alcohol is more expensive people drink less and have fewer alcoholshyrelated problems
Strong leadership from a concerned college president in combination with an involved campus community and a comprehensive program of evidenceshybased strategies can help address harmful student drinking
For more information please visit wwwniaaanihgov 1 Hingson RW Zha W and Weitzman ER Magnitude of and trends in alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 1998ndash2005 Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 1612ndash20 2009
2 Hingson RW Heeren T Zakocs RC et al Magnitude of alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(2)136ndash144 2002
3 Engs RC Diebold BA and Hansen DJ The drinking patterns and problems of a national sample of college students 1994 Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 41(3)13ndash33 1996
4 Presley CA Meilman PW and Cashin JR Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol IV 1992ndash1994 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
5 Presley CA Meilman PW Cashin JR and Lyerla R Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol III 1991ndash1993 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
6 Wechsler H Lee JE Kuo M et al Trends in college binge drinking during a period of increased prevention efforts Findings from four Harvard School of Public Health study surveys 1993ndash2001 Journal of American College Health 50(5)203ndash217 2002
7 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions 2002 (special data run)
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
July 2013
raquo Provide alcoholshyfree campus activities raquo Notify parents of alcoholshyrelated infractions raquo Adjust academic schedules to include more Friday classes and reduce the number of long weekends during the semester
Socialshynorms approaches which focus on correcting student misperceptions about how much their peers drink have been widely implemented However new research shows that these approaches may work best in individual and online applications in which students receive personalized feedback but they are much less effective as part of campusshywide campaigns
Accumulating research shows that campusndash community partnerships can be effective With the involvement of campus administrators local law enforcement merchants residents and local leaders these partnerships address college drinking through the application and consistent enforcement of community policies Effective campusndashcommunity partnership strategies can include
raquo Publicizing and enforcing underageshy drinking and zeroshytolerance laws for drivers under age 21
raquo Establishing partnerships between the college and the local residential and business communities to reduce access to alcohol and to address violations
raquo Increasing the price of alcohol such as the elimination of lowshycost drink specials in bars near college campuses because research shows that when alcohol is more expensive people drink less and have fewer alcoholshyrelated problems
Strong leadership from a concerned college president in combination with an involved campus community and a comprehensive program of evidenceshybased strategies can help address harmful student drinking
For more information please visit wwwniaaanihgov 1 Hingson RW Zha W and Weitzman ER Magnitude of and trends in alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 1998ndash2005 Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Supplement 1612ndash20 2009
2 Hingson RW Heeren T Zakocs RC et al Magnitude of alcoholshyrelated mortality and morbidity among US college students ages 18ndash24 Journal of Studies on Alcohol 63(2)136ndash144 2002
3 Engs RC Diebold BA and Hansen DJ The drinking patterns and problems of a national sample of college students 1994 Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education 41(3)13ndash33 1996
4 Presley CA Meilman PW and Cashin JR Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol IV 1992ndash1994 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
5 Presley CA Meilman PW Cashin JR and Lyerla R Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses Use Consequences and Perceptions of the Campus Environment Vol III 1991ndash1993 Carbondale IL Core Institute Southern Illinois University 1996
6 Wechsler H Lee JE Kuo M et al Trends in college binge drinking during a period of increased prevention efforts Findings from four Harvard School of Public Health study surveys 1993ndash2001 Journal of American College Health 50(5)203ndash217 2002
7 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions 2002 (special data run)
NIH Turning Discovery Into Healthreg
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
wwwniaaanihgov bull 3014433860
July 2013